An excavator is a tracked swiveling construction vehicle that includes an undercarriage that supports a pair of track assemblies and an upperstructure that includes an operator support portion. The pair of track assemblies are powered by motors and are controlled by an operator located in the cab. The undercarriage is equipped with a dozer blade that is fixed to a lift arm also controlled by the operator. Pinned to the upperstructure is an implement assembly including a boom and arm.
The implement assembly includes a bucket, breaker or other attachment coupled to the arm that is configured for excavating and trenching. In operation, the dozer blade is used for grading, leveling, backfilling, trenching and general dozing work. The blade can be used to increase dump height and digging depth depending on its position in relation to the boom and implement assembly. The blade also serves as a stabilizer during digging operations.
The upperstructure can rotate relative to the undercarriage by a swivel. Any hydraulic power that is transmitted to the undercarriage from the upperstructure is typically routed through the hydraulic swivel. For example, travel motors, such as the motors that power the pair of track assemblies, and tools, such as the dozer blade located on the undercarriage, can require hydraulic power. Routing hydraulic fluid through the swivel is complicated by the 360 degree rotation of the upperstructure relative to the undercarriage.
Since the hydraulic connections routed through the swivel are hard-plumbed into the swivel, adding new hydraulically-controlled features to the undercarriage generally requires the design and installation of a unique swivel for each version of an excavator. In addition, each new hydraulic line for each new hydraulically-controlled feature typically requires a separate control mechanism in the upperstructure. Creating and installing a unique swivel and adding separate control mechanisms for each version of an excavator can incur added costs and complexity to the manufacturing process of excavators.
The discussion above is merely provided for general background information and is not intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.